Neki Kar Dariya mein dal ..

I travel using the VIVA buses whenever I am not biking to my office or other places. The buses are very cool and right bang on time. Somehow the schedules are updated so perfectly: traffic, weather, busy hours etc is perfectly considered. Moreover the bust stops have a receiver so that Bus talks with all the stops on the way. That way a real time update of bus timings is available to passengers ..cool

But I still think that in spite of that they have over-priced it. $3.25 for a ride irrespective of weather it is 500m or 5 km is unfair at least for "public transport". I feel bad for those who are actually very tight on budget like students etc who have to pay that for each ride.

One day I saw Visda Vokhshoori getting off the bus and attaching the used up ticket near the ticket machine. The ticket is valid for 2 hrs so some1 else can just use that instead of buying a new one :). This reminds me an about Hatim Tai stories, especially..Neki kar dariya mein daal :)

I have been doing the same ever since. Dont know if it is fair towards VIVA, but here is how they can make up:
1. Don't keep extra red bulbs for people to know bus stopped!. Save some money there
2. Do not open bus doors even if no one is at or near a stop. I know its in the rule book .. but please use brains :). Dont waste the heating and cooling cost.
3. Half of your buses flow empty. Get smaller vehicles and operate at max capacity.
4. The driver has too many controls. He is driving a bus not a plane !
5. Get more of those advertisement TV's inside the bus. They are good to kill time and earns you money !
6. Put wooden benches, instead of steel. They are cheaper and people would actually use them when its freaking cold [steel is not a bad conductor of heat, remember]

Nevertheless, VIVA is the best bus service I have seen so far .. but there's always room to improve :)

P.S: In Pic, Viva also protects you from extreme Canadian Rains and Winter :)